


The End Of Shadows

by hashtag_eternal



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Assassin Kuroko Tetsuya, Assassin x Prince AU, Boys In Love, Dark Kuroko Tetsuya, Death, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Love, Idiots in Love, Infiltration, King Akashi Masaomi, Kuroko Can Be An Idiot, Last(?) Love, Love/Hate Relationship, M/M, Mysterious Clients, Near Death Experiences, Possessive Akashi Seijuurou, Power and Wealth, Prince Akashi Seijuurou, Protective Akashi Seijuurou, Rakuzan - Freeform, Royal Bloods, Self-Hatred, Teiko, deception and lies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-17 18:45:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15467655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hashtag_eternal/pseuds/hashtag_eternal
Summary: "You fell in love with a fake me. I'm sorry.""I don't understand. Why? Why would you do this to me?"





	1. The Shadow Assassin

**Author's Note:**

> This is really short, and I'm hoping that once I have a computer back, I can edit and add more.  
> So think of this as a teaser.
> 
> Please keep in mind this started all started on a phone, and my writing really changes if I am not able to have a large screen and keyboard. 
> 
> It's pretty cringey <.> so I apologize. I really can't wait for two weeks to go by until this damned summer vacation is over and I have my computer back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who've already read this, I'm just doing a bit of editing! This is technically the first "chapter" and I'll post the rest of what I had here originally once I've finished going through that.

The man stood there, impatiently checking the face of his expensive watch for the time. Tapping his finger against his bicep, he sighed heavily, waiting for his…. _guest_ to arrive.

_Eight twenty-seven_

There was only three minutes before it became eight thirty, and the person he wanted to hire would be late. However, there were rumors that _He_ was never late to a meeting, and he would always arrive on time, on the dot. There were other rumors that _He_ would be there, several minutes before the actual meeting time, watching silently and analyzing before he revealed his position.

_Eight twenty-eight_

The man began to pace, worrying his lower lip between his teeth, senses alert, feeling himself grow more nervous with anticipation. He was looking, _searching_ , trying to see if he would find the telltale shadow. The man himself didn’t have that much of a problem with his chosen target. However, it just happened that his chosen target was threatening his own wealth and power, and he hated anything that threatened his position in the world.

_The damn Ryshkva royalty._

_Eight twenty-nine_

He looked up into the inky black winter sky, at the scattered stars and at the full moon that was glowing brightly and almost ominously in the sky. He fought back a shiver as a cool breeze blew through the small clearing, rustling the leaves of the massive oak behind him.

_Eight thirty_

He heard it. A soft intake of breath, barely there, and a slight rustle of leaves in the tree.

“You requested my service.” It was neither a question or a statement, leaving the man unable to figure out what it was. The voice that spoke was soft, monotonous, and just barely there. It sent shivers of unease down the man’s spine.

“Yes.” The man cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked up into the darkness of the tree.

“Who is the person you wish for me to…. Eliminate?” The voice sounded rather bored, and the man answered hurriedly, feeling his palms begin to sweat with unease. Something seemed to be…. off about this shadow assassin.

“He’s an upcoming figure in the world of wealth and power, as well as the next heir of the Ryshkva royalty. He is the only son of Akashi Masaomi.” There was a light hum of acknowledgement.

“You want me to end Akashi Seijūrō’s life.”

“Yes.” The man felt his heart pumping furiously, threatening to jump out of his chest. There was a long moment of silence, and he wasn’t sure if the shadow assassin had left until he heard another very soft and barely there inhale.

“What is my compensation for this task?”

“Nine hundred million yen.” The man responded immediately. There was another soft sigh before the voice responded.

“I will do it. What is your time limit for this mission?”

“As long as you complete the job before he is the age of twenty.”

“He is eighteen now.” Once again, it wasn’t really a question, nor a statement. 

“Yes. At the age of twenty, that’s when the Prince’s ideals and political views are officially accepted instead of having to be passed through the king beforehand. That is why he must be eradicated from existence before then.”

“I see.” There was a brief pause. “Give me two months starting from midnight. We will meet in this exact spot and I shall bring back Akashi Seijūrō’s _Asambya_ in proof that he has met his inevitable end.”

“Then I shall have the payment ready for the next time we meet.” The man didn’t dare voice his question on why this shadow assassin needed this much time.

“Of course.”

There was only silence after that. The man heard a soft breeze blow through the woods before him, and when he called out in a soft and questioning voice, he realized only a few seconds later that he was all alone.


	2. Attack of the Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toying with the royal bloods were fun - even when they were insane. They never knew when to give up. Their greed and pride always clouded their judgement, making it simple for Kuroko to outwit them before he took their pitiful lives. Though Kuroko’s first _play session_ with the first royal blood had gone smoothly - easily catching his prey off-guard, and displaying his dominance before he killed the pathetic soul - this one had fought back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL 
> 
> So....
> 
> This wasn't as long as I had hoped it to be ;-;

This was much different than what he was used to. Trying to break into a royal palace of the highest level of security and technology to kill the crowned prince would not be a piece of cake, unlike his other missions. However, there were some things that would work in his advantage.

With his weak presence, it was always easy to hide himself from his clients as he watched them, arriving exactly fifteen minutes before their set meeting time to observe and calculate any weaknesses that were detectable. If his client was to try to stab Kuroko in the back by reporting them, or by faking their identity, they would be found dead in the back alleys the next morning.

Kuroko Tetsuya was an infamous and notoriously well-known criminal and assassin known as the _Black Shadow_ which fortunately suited his attack methods, as well as himself as a person. He was barely detectable, barely noticeable until he was there in front of his victim, sometimes knocking them unconscious before slitting their throats, staring down at them emotionlessly and wordlessly as the life bled from them. That was only one of his various different attack methods.

When Kuroko was done with his assassinations, he would leave his dead victim, or victims in the shadows of the night, normally in a back alleyway, their bodies - if found - only seen once it was daylight. Any unfortunate bystander or witness to a silent and barely visible assassin ended up collapsing, choking on their own blood as the light went out of their eyes.

Most of his assassinations were of…. regular people, not royal bloods. Within his six years of experience as an assassin, he’d killed several, and they had all already been crazed. Kuroko would accept almost any and every case, whether it was because of a stupid grudge, or whether it was a cheating ex-girlfriend or boyfriend.

Scowling, Kuroko realized that this would be his thirteenth kill of a royal blood, and that though they were worth the most to be assassinated, the last few didn’t put up a fight. It had been too long since he ever had to fight someone to actually take their life from them. He’d heard that the prince was exceptionally skilled in his combat and self-defense training, and Kuroko silently wished that some of that would show.

There was the growling of dogs, and Kuroko glanced down from his perch. Kuroko was positioned several feet away from the edge of the palace walls of Ryshkva, and from his perspective from up in the tree - that smelled heavily like perfume despite it being the middle of fall - would see the guard dogs, pacing back and forth within the walls behind the bars. They would stop and sniff at the air occasionally, and Kuroko bit back a rather sinister snicker. The soldiers were also pacing back and forth, hands on the handle of their swords. Luckily, these were combat weapons, and not long range weapons such as guns. 

He knew that the wall itself had no booby traps or weapons hidden, as no normal person would ever be able to get past _both_ the dogs and soldiers. Kuroko crouched, feeling both of his knives hidden in the soles of his shoes, sharp and deadly. Two daggers were placed skillfully at his waist, at the ready to be thrown - with terrifying accuracy - at any pursuers to slow them down. 

Clad in snug-fitting black clothes, Kuroko rubbed his gloved hands together before pulling his mask over his face. The fabric of his gloves was thin enough to allow Kuroko’s fingers to function as if there weren’t any gloves, but thick enough to leave no evidence of Kuroko’s fingerprints behind.

Swiftly climbing down the trunk of the heavily scented tree, he maneuvered his way towards the edge of the forest, staying in the shadows, as he reached into his pocket and placed a very small explosive at the base of the tree. It would go off in twenty minutes. That was all the time he needed to give the prince the scare of his life.

Immediately, Kuroko skirted back to where he started before, on the _opposite_ side of the palace walls, and climbed another tree, inching out on the thicket branch. He’d skillfully picked the place where the security levels were the weakest - where the east wing met the south wing, meaning that the bomb he’d planted was where the west wing met the north wing. 

Almost no one knew about the weak spot of the Ryshkva palace, but after circling the palace for a few days, Kuroko’s observation skills helped him crack their defense. What’s more, all of the dogs were on edge. They would _sense_ him, knew that he was there. But they couldn’t smell or find him no matter hard they tried. Some highly trained mutts they were. Kuroko scowled, stepping back on the branch, before reaching into his pocket to retrieve two smoke bombs. With little to no noise, Kuroko took three strides forward, using his momentum to jump, propelling himself out of the tree, shooting easily over the heads of the soldiers, tossing the smoke bombs down as he landed on the wall, pressing himself into the shadows.

There were two bangs, and shouts of surprise, followed by the barking of dogs. Kuroko immediately darted across the ten meter width of the wall, skirting down low quickly until he reached where the wall happened to _dip_ , making it easier for Kuroko to take the hook and rope he’d stolen from the palace’s warehouse and use the hook as an anchor. Easily getting to ground level, Kuroko twisted his wrist and yanked, the hook glittering as it caught the moonlight before Kuroko caught it, winding the length of rope around his arm, stuffing it into a nearby bush.

He wouldn’t need it anymore.

Kuroko kept his body pressed to the wall, and looked up at the nearest balcony, probably at least seven meters above his head. The room below that balcony had its lights on, so Kuroko had to be careful. Grasping the clump of vines and plants growing on the wall of the palace, Kuroko quickly and deftly climbed up until he reached the dark balcony, where he jumped into. The wall was still looming over Kuroko, and he grimaced, giving the green foliage another experimental tug.

He immediately retracted his hand when he heard gruff voices, and shifted, crouched down low as lights swept across the courtyard, obviously searching.

 _If someone was smart enough to break in, they wouldn’t be running across a courtyard._ Kuroko sneered, before he picked out his last smoke bomb, chucking it at the wall several meters above his head. As soon as it exploded, Kuroko swung himself over the edge, nearly swearing as the vines almost gave out beneath him.

Climbing swiftly to the next balcony, Kuroko swung himself onto the railing, and hopped down, crouching once more, hiding from view as there were more shouts.

“Alert the king!”

“There’s been an intruder!”

“Everyone back into the castle where it’s safer!”

There was the sound of dogs barking and baying, as well as the tell tale sound of a horn, most likely to alert everyone that there was danger. Kuroko rolled his eyes and glanced over to the balcony directly to the right of the one he was currently on.

 _If my calculations are correct, this one is the prince’s balcony._ Kuroko narrowed his eyes, watching a dark shadow move in the lit room behind the shadows.

_Ten minutes left._

The sound of a balcony door unlocking had Kuroko tensing, his hidden blue eyes narrowing. Directly across from him was the prince, as he stepped out onto the balcony, cape draped over his shoulders.

He was dressed surprisingly casually for someone of royalty, and Kuroko’s eyes swept over his features, before he ensured that this was his target. However, with the fiery crimson hair and flashing red eyes, it had to be the prince.

Kuroko’s eyes snapped up to the roof above the prince’s balcony. It would be an way out. Once he was on the roof, he would run diagonally across the roof until he heard the explosion, before heading in that direction. He knew the tree was large enough to crash into the wall, the foliage broad enough for Kuroko to walk through, using his daggers to cut away branches if necessary. 

The foliage would hide him until he made his way past the wall and back to the safety of the forest. Of course, he would have to be careful of the dogs.

Darting across the balcony he was on, he slowly stood, mindful of the spots of light that were still sweeping across the courtyard, over the palace walls and the palace itself. Kuroko kept his eyes trained on the prince, nearly scoffing as the prince didn’t notice him.

_Self-defence, huh._

“Useless mutts.” Kuroko heard the prince mutter as he leaned over the railing, eyes disgusted, voice full of spite. Kuroko immediately knew that the prince wasn’t just referring to the dogs, but the soldiers as well. “If there’s an attacker amongst us, why hasn’t anyone alerted my father?” Akashi huffed, annoyed, and turned towards Kuroko, cape billowing slightly as he started back into this room. However, he froze, eyes trained to where Kuroko was hiding. Kuroko knew that his eyes must just barely be visible, because the prince took a tentative step forward.

“Who’s there?” He asked sharply. Immediately, Kuroko hunkered down, slipping one hand beneath the sole of his shoe, grasping one knife in one hand and a dagger in the other before he leapt up, pushing off the edge of the balcony, hurtling himself across the two meter distance. He tackled the startled prince around the waist, knife sinking deep into the prince’s abdomen, dagger slashing across the prince’s left bicep.

“What the-” Kuroko cut the prince’s pained words short, dropping the dagger next to the prince’s head, the same hand wrapping around the prince’s throat, pressing down sharply, holding up his hand holding the now bloodied knife to where the prince could see it.

“Quiet.” Kuroko growled, his voice low in his throat. It sounded gruff, much deeper and rougher than it normally was. The prince tensed beneath him, muscles bunching and as Kuroko knew exactly what the prince was going to do before it happened, Kuroko tightened his grip on the prince’s throat, forcing him to stay still as he straddled the prince’s lower body. The prince’s white shirt was soaking through with red, clearly visible in the pale light glowing from the prince’s room. 

“Who-” the prince started, his voice strained, face pale. Kuroko twirled the knife around with practiced ease, reaching back to put the knife back beneath his shoe, and slid the dagger back into place by his waist before releasing his grip just slightly on purpose. Immediately, he was flipped over, and Kuroko was surprised that the prince still had enough strength after being stabbed. One trembling hand pinned his right shoulder, and the other found his neck.

“Who the hell are you to think you can just come marching into my palace and create chaos?” Akashi hissed, and Kuroko smirked as he saw the strained look in Akashi’s expression. There were bruises forming on the prince’s neck, and his shoulders were straining, the blood loss the prince was dealing with was rapidly draining his energy.

“Where are all of your ‘useless mutts’? No one’s here to help you.” Kuroko snarled, before he surged upwards, twisting his body, kicking out with his left foot. Swiftly drawing the same dagger as before, Kuroko nicked the prince twice on the right thigh, tearing through the fabric of his pants, shoving the prince roughly to send him careening into the balcony, hitting his back painfully. 

There were shouts from below, startled and infuriated, obviously having seen the prince fall back on his balcony.

“Your Highness!”

“What’s going on?”

“There must be an assassin!”

 _No shit._ Kuroko sneered at the prince, who was still collapsed back into the balcony, reaching forward to grab the prince by the front of his shirt, wrenching him away from the balcony before throwing him on the ground. The prince let out a pitiful groan of pain, using his only good arm to heave his body up, sending Kuroko a murderous glare.

“You won’t get away with this.” The prince hissed, his crimson eyes locked furiously on Kuroko’s green contact lenses. Kuroko’s hidden blue eyes rolled upwards before he narrowed his eyes at the prince.

“I already have.” Kuroko laughed, his voice venomous as he stepped forward, kicking the prince rather viciously in the stomach before he crouched, grabbed the prince by his shirt once more. Leaning forward, Kuroko hissed in the prince’s ear, “I’ll be back soon to finish things, _Prince Akashi_.” Kuroko smiled when he felt a shudder run through the prince’s body, and immediately lifted his head, heading back to the railing of the balcony, leaping over to the one he’d tackled the prince from. 

Using the vines, he climbed up easily, hauling himself onto the roof, dusting himself off, grimacing in disgust as he felt the front of his outfit was wet. Blood. The prince’s blood most likely. Kuroko hurriedly maneuvered his way a few steps to the left to gaze down at the balcony where the prince was laying.

He looked absolutely pathetic, shirt soaked through his red as one hand pressed to his stomach, and the other to his bicep. Some prince he was. Kuroko made a clicking noise with his tongue, and as the prince looked up, Kuroko flipped him off before turning, swiftly running across the roof in the direction of his escape. 

The screams of terror and worry heard behind Kuroko made a malicious grin crawl across his features.

 _However, if those pathetic people weren’t running down the hallway, this would have been done tonight._ Kuroko cursed to himself. 

But, Kuroko liked to you with his prey, especially those who were stupid enough to think they were superior because of their wealth and position in the world. None of that mattered to Kuroko, not even the money that he earned. Kuroko wasn’t sure _where_ or _what_ he would use all the money he’d collected in the last six years on. Maybe when he got too old to do more assassination work, he’d pay people to build him a house in the mountains and live with several dogs.

Toying with the royal bloods were fun - even when they were insane. They never knew when to give up. Their greed and pride always clouded their judgement, making it simple for Kuroko to outwit them before he took their pitiful lives. Though Kuroko’s first _play session_ with the first royal blood had gone smoothly - easily catching his prey off-guard, and displaying his dominance before he killed the pathetic soul - this one had fought back.

Kuroko couldn’t stop the maniacal grin that was spreading across his face, and when he heard a loud _boom_ , he knew that his escape was secured. Easily finding the cloud of smoke, Kuroko ran straight into it, just avoiding a search helicopter and the beam of light. The smoke was thick enough to hide him as he made his escape. Kuroko immediately darted around the first few meters of the top of the tree before he darted into the thicker branches, hearing the baying and snarling of the dogs as he climbed lower. 

_Dammit._ The prince’s blood was probably a potent smell, and definitely was going to give him away. The sound of the dogs was far enough away, and Kuroko used that time to jump, landing safely on the ground before making a break for the woods. He heard a twig snap as he ran past the edge of the woods and whirled around, dagger slashing at the air just in time to block an attack and injure a massive Doberman. It’s howl of pain was heard, reverberating through the woods as Kuroko moved deeper with calculated memory.

 _I'll be back, Prince._ Kuroko sneered, curling his lip, escaping deeper into the forest as he heard the shouts of other soldiers fading away.


	3. Infiltrating the Palace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a mess. A literal fucking mess.
> 
> I apologize beforehand

Kuroko had still yet to decide what the second phase of his plan was. He knew that the level of security and guards would have increased, and he silently cursed himself for not ending it when he could. It had been about a week since his first attack, and he had just gone into the village to buy some fresh meat for that night’s dinner, he’d overheard a hushed conversation regarding the prince’s and his injuries.

Kuroko forced to keep his expression carefully schooled as he listened, knowing that one wrong move would drastically change his life, or get him killed. The conversation was between a boy and a girl, sitting at a coffee shop, most likely siblings from the look of it. They shared the same dark blonde hair, blue eyes, sharp nose and almond-shaped eyes. Kuroko silently thanked the butcher before he left the small stall.

“Ryshkva was infiltrated by an assassin who was intent on killing the heir of the Akashi’s.” The boy said, as he fiddled with his coffee cup.

“No! Really?!” The girl nearly shrieked, but the boy hushed her, eyes darting to the side as if worried someone would overhead. Kuroko sat at a table near the two, far enough away as to not raise suspicion, but close enough to listen. 

“Yeah. A giant tree fell onto the wall, and they think that the assassin had infiltrated the palace from the opposite side of the wall. Apparently the prince was badly injured and is still recuperating.”

“How would someone do that?” The girl demanded, sounding absolutely outraged.

“Attack the prince? I know, it’s a terrible sin.” The boy frowned, and Kuroko could see it out of his peripheral vision.

“Well yes, that too,” the girl huffed. “But I mean, how could someone injure someone with such _power_ and _wealth_? Not to mention, he has a gorgeous face, and you know, probably has a really good physique.”

The boy snorted, breaking into laughter, and Kuroko has to force himself to suppress a scowl of distaste. 

“Hey!” The girl pouted, swatting at the boy’s arm.

“You know you _do_ have a boyfriend,” the boy chuckled.

“I know that! He doesn’t care! I don’t need my jerk of an older brother to remind me.” The girl scowled. Kuroko stifled a sigh of annoyance and rose from his seat, grasping the small bag of pork before he walked down the main street, ducking into an alleyway that led back to the forest. 

“Hey you punk. This is our territory.” Kuroko looked up, arching an eyebrow as he saw three fully grown men standing before him, all holding a different weapons of. One held a lead pipe, another held a crowbar, and the man who had just spoken to him held a knife. Kuroko schooled his expression into something flat, before he forced his eyes to round, knowing how the evening sun caught in the green in the contacts and reflected bits of his natural blue beneath the contacts, making him look innocent.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice.” Kuroko said tilting his head to the side in a manner that makes him seem confused and relaxed. It’s the complete opposite, however. He’s tense, beneath the material of his black hoodie, he’s ready to fight, knives beneath the soles of his boots he wears everywhere.

“Yeah, well scram.” The one holding the lead pipe snarled, squaring his shoulders as if he was ready to charge at Kuroko and try to bash his head in at any moment.

“But this is the only way I can get back.” Kuroko protested, biting back the urge to snap. Picking a fight here would not be in their favor, and he had wanted to try to leave without any disturbances.

“You have three seconds to scram.” The leader of them, the first one who spoke, threatened, as he waved his knife around. Kuroko stayed put, scowling and within an instant, he tossed the paper bag of meat in the plastic bag to the side, and drawn both knives from the soles of his shoes, taking up an offensive stance. 

“You don’t want to mess with me.” Kuroko growled, his voice low. Immediately the three men burst out laughing, Kuroko’s eyes narrowed, feeling hatred begin to bubble and build inside of him. He tried to force that burning feeling back down, until it was just simmering. 

“You think _you_ , a puny little kid can beat the three of us?” Knife sneered. Crowbar and Pipe laughed as they brandished their weapons. All three of them were large and bulky, and would probably use brute force to fight. It would be difficult to kill them, though, Kuroko thought, twirling one knife between his fingers.

“If a fight’s what you want, then we’ll gladly give it to you.” Crowbar shrugged, looking indifferent. Pipe’s eyes were on Kuroko’s knife, watching with what looked like a tinge of amazement as Kuroko spun it before making a show to toss it in the air and catch it by the handle.

“Then bring it on. I said I warned you.” The corner of Kuroko’s lips quirked up into a what looked like a malicious and crazed sneer, and Knife seemed to falter before he narrowed his eyes.

“Go get him, boys.” Knife commanded, pointing the tip of the knife at Kuroko, who merely smirked. Crowbar and Pipe exchanged glances, as if wordlessly deciding who was going first. Kuroko cocked a hip out and lazily examined his fingernails.

“I’m waiting,” Kuroko sing songed mockingly. Knife let out a noise of anger and Crowbar growled. Pipe attacked first.

He came charging at Kuroko, swinging the pipe using both arms with a loud battle cry. Amused, Kuroko waited for the last minute, waiting for Pipe’s movements to falter just briefly before he jumped above the attack, effectively dodging, earning shocked yells from the other two. Angered, Pipe brandished his weapon again and lunged with surprising speed, and swung again. This time, Kuroko ducked beneath it and darted forward, dancing around Pipe teasingly. 

Pipe let out an angry snarl, and picked up a good-sized rock from the ground, before charging, swinging at Kuroko. As Kuroko dodged, Pipe chucked the rock at him. Rolling, Kuroko somersaulted backwards and kicked, flipping over and landing on his feet, and blinked, watching as the poorly aimed rock smashed against the side of the wall. 

When Pipe ran at Kuroko again, Kuroko yawned and stepped forward, not deterred at all as he held both knives in his right hand, reeling his left hand back to punch the man in the face. There was a sickeningly loud crunch and blood spurted from Pipe’s nose, and he howled in agony, stumbling backwards. Kuroko shook his hand out casually before he tossed a knife back to his left hand, stabbing the man in the side viciously with the knife before giving him a hard kick to send him tumbling to the ground. 

A loud pair of rapidly approaching footsteps had Kuroko turning around, hardly amused. This was too easy, he was barely breaking a sweat. Crowbar swung at him, with much more speed than Pipe did, the ends of the crowbar gleaming in the evening sunlight. 

Snorting in amusement, Kuroko ducked beneath Crowbar’s arm and whipped around, leaping onto the man’s back knees first. Unbalanced, Crowbar fell forward onto Pipe, and pierced his comrade’s body with his own weapon.

Crowbar let out a shriek, obviously shocked, and he immediately reached backwards for Kuroko, who swiftly stabbed his forearm. Crowbar let out another shriek, this time full of pain and agony, and Kuroko jumped off, knives raised, eyes trained on Crowbar and fully aware of a shocked Knife standing stock-still a few feet away. 

Kuroko slid his knives back into the soles of his boots at rapid speed when Crowbar came charging at him, fists raised. Kuroko would see the body of his stunned comrade, the crowbar still sticking out at a weird angle from Pipe’s stomach, blood pooling around him as he groaned. Pipe wasn’t dead. Yet.

Dodging Crowbar’s attacks, Kuroko easily found an opening. Anger and rage had clouded Crowbar’s judgement, making this a quick and easy cat and mouse game. Kuroko dodged beneath Crowbar’s outstretched arm as he made to punch the assassin, flipped out his knife from his boot and stabbed the man in the chest.

A horrid shriek of pain escaped Crowbar and Kuroko silently and swiftly drew out his second knife, sliding it across his throat, effectively ending his life. Kuroko stood, and yanked out his knife from Crowbar’s chest, hearing a wet gurgle as the man groaned in pain. Turning, Kuroko noticed that Pipe had managed to stand, hand pressed over the wound on his stomach, crowbar in hand.

“You killed him!” Pipe screamed.

“Better him than me,” Kuroko shrugged. “You’re all gonna die before me anyways.” Kuroko smirked, and ducked before he twisted, kicking viciously as Knife flew at him in a blind rage. Kuroko landed on his back with an _oomph_ and stood, grasping a dagger from his belt beneath the hoodie and chucking it at Pipe at full speed and strength.

Before the injured man could say anything, or do anything, the sharpened point of the blade nailed him in between the eyes, sending him staggering backwards, eyes rolling to the top of his head as he crumpled to the ground, officially dead.

Knife was trembling a few feet away from him, and Kuroko wasn’t sure whether it was anger or anguish over losing his comrades, or a mixture of both. Knife let out a roar or agony and threw the knife at Kuroko, who promptly ducked and the poorly aimed knife clattered to the ground somewhere behind him.

“You really need to work on your aim,” Kuroko mused, putting one knife away and running his finger over the blade of the one in his hands almost lovingly, a maniacal gleam to his eyes.

“Who… who are you?” Knife croaked, eyes wide with fear. Kuroko only grinned, twirling the knife on his open palm.

“You might’ve heard of me,” Kuroko said as he shrugged his shoulders as he examined the scene around him. Blood was pooling on the ground, splattered on the walls and two limp figures were sprawled on the ground, their weapons lying on the ground uselessly.

“Who _are_ you?” Knife demanded, his voice shaking. Kuroko snorted.

“Mmm, I don’t know,” Kuroko drawled. “Maybe I’m the one who injured the prince last week.” Kuroko rubbed his chin in mock thought as Knife’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened as if to form words. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Kuroko sneered.

“B-Black Shadow, the infamous assassin,” Knife stammered. Kuroko’s eyes darkened, features twisting into something ugly as he darted forward, clearing the distance of five feet in an instant, knocking the man over. Knife started to struggle, but Kuroko pressed his free hand against the man’s throat, causing him to still immediately.

“Unfortunately for you, now that you know my, let’s say, little secret,” Kuroko mused, drawing the tip of the knife over the skin of Knife’s throat, drawing little pinpricks of blood. “You need to be eliminated from your existence on this earth.”

Knife’s eyes widened in fear, finally realizing what was going on, and who Kuroko was. Kuroko only crouched next to Knife, brandishing his own knife, making sure that the evening sun caught the metal.

“Don’t worry. This won’t hurt one little bit.”

“You sick motherfucker-” Knife’s curse was cut off, as it turned into a high-pitched scream of pain and fury. 

Kuroko scrunched his nose up, and stood, turning around to grab the bag that held his dinner and stepped over the three limp bodies and continued down the alleyway until he reached the woods.

There was the sound of sirens in the background, and Kuroko only grinned to himself, shaking his head. It was useless to try to save them. No one could save one of the Black Shadow’s victims.

 

As Kuroko left the scene, he realized what he could do to easily infiltrate the palace. Faking an injury, or actually just giving himself an injury before stumbling to the palace gates seemed like a decent idea. However, Kuroko wasn’t sure whether or not that plan would work, especially how everyone was on high guard after his first attack.

_Maybe..._

If he somehow made himself sick, he’d easily be able to _accepted_ into the palace, but whether or not he could stay wouldn’t be his choice. It was the rules of the Ryshkva palace that any and all who are found sick must be treated immediately, though they are heavily guarded in case they become a threat in the future.

_Yes. This was how he was going to do this._

Kuroko tilted his head up after he sat down on a fallen log, in front of the fire pit that he usually uses. The crisp autumn air swirls around him, sending leaves on the ground whisking off and into the air.

_How was he going to make himself sick, though?_

Kuroko frowned, before his eyes caught the same plastic bag he’d been carrying throughout the past forty minutes. He should probably cook and eat it before it goes bad. Kuroko sighed, and was just about to brush some leaves out of his firepit to light it before he goes stock still.

Different scenarios of what could possibly happen if he sees this mission through run through his head. Narrowing his eyes, Kuroko knows that this is the best chance he’ll get to become sick.

Kuroko reaches for the plastic bag and takes out the palm sized portion of meat, hesitating only for a few moments before he eats it. Raw.

He nearly retches as soon as it touches his tongue, but he steels himself enough to chew and swallow, already feeling sick after the second bite. It’s slimy and disgusting and it tastes like blood and something else he can’t decipher. Kuroko forces himself to eat at least half of it, before he stands, staggering to his feet and fights to urge to throw up right then and there. 

This was going to happen much quicker than Kuroko had originally planned, but he knew that this was the best course to take as of what was currently happening. Kuroko took his knives from beneath his boots and cut up the legs of his already scuffed up pants, and put the half-eaten raw meat back in the plastic bag. 

Standing up, Kuroko inhales sharply, before he heads in the direction of the Ryshkva palace to hide a couple things in the heavily perfumed tree before he started a new phase of his plan.

Easily finding the tree, Kuroko skirted up easily, all the while feeling his stomach churn with discomfort. Kuroko then takes off his boots and hoodie, using the daggers at his hips to cut the material, making sure to nick his skin in some places. Some nicks are deeper than the others, and they rapidly darken the dirty white cloth with red.

Placing everything wrapped in his hoodie, including his contacts, which he places in a small plastic container, Kuroko hides it in a small nook near the trunk of the tree, and takes one dagger with him for safekeeping, and to help him support a made-up story with evidence. Moving down the tree as swiftly as possible, he hears the distant sniffing and growling of the dogs.

As soon as his feet are back on the ground, Kuroko heads in the direction of the coldest river in the forest.

He feels like an idiot for doing this, he _knows_ that he shouldn’t have waited to kill the prince. He could’ve done it that night. Easily. Done, that would be that. But no, Kuroko _had_ to be enticed by the fact that this was the first royal blood who’d fought back, who’d showed him hatred despite not knowing who he was.

Kuroko had plenty of time to end the prince’s life that night, he’d severely wounded the prince for God’s sake, but Kuroko had to wait. Patience was not one of Kuroko’s fortes, and he hated himself for _obeying_ that instinct.

He hated feeling like this, his stomach churning and clenching uncomfortably and rather painfully as sweat beaded along his hairline and at the nape of his neck. Kuroko would hear the trickling of the river, and picked up his pace. 

Something cold touched his nose and Kuroko froze, looking up at the foliage above him, tense, dagger raised, perceptive eyes darting around to see if there was anything there watching him.

 _Oh great, just my fucking luck._ Kuroko grumbled to himself as he realized what had touched him. Snow.

It just had to snow. Kuroko was positively sure this was now a suicide mission if he couldn’t get in the palace by being sick.

Then again, Kuroko had all the money from his previous missions and could easily find either a shaman in the village he’d just been to, or go north to the city to the hospital. Kuroko scowled as he plodded forward, head down to glare at his feet.

_Smack!_

“Ow! Shit!” Kuroko swore, clutching his forehead as he stared at the branch just in front of him. He was going crazy. Kuroko ducked beneath the branch and let out a sigh of relief as he saw the river just a few feet away. 

The river was _freezing_. Kuroko shuddered as he stepped in barely wincing as the rocks dug into his bare feet.

“I’m going to get hypothermia.” Kuroko muttered to himself, although his subconscious assassin in his mind taunted him, _isn’t that what you want?_ Kuroko scowled at himself, kicking at the water, nearly losing his balance.

“Fuck!” Kuroko spat as he fell, nearly stabbing his forearm with his dagger as he landed with a splash. The cold water was seeping through his clothes, causing them to stick to his skin, chilling him to the bone almost immediately. 

Kuroko could see the snowflakes drifting from the sky more clearly now and groaned low in his throat as he leaned back, squeezing his eyes shut as the cold water covered his ears and soaked through his hair, matting it to his skull. 

His body was growing numb, and he could barely feel his feet. Kuroko stumbled to stand up, water dripping off the clothes that clung to his body. The cool autumn evening air brushed against his wet skin, weaving around his neck and he shuddered, stumbling as he went to sit on the edge of the river. 

At least he was a little cleaner than he had previously been. The blood had been washed from his pants, and from his body, though it hadn’t been the most pleasing of baths.   
_Goddammit._ It hadn’t been too long but he already felt close to fainting, his stomach churning so painfully that Kuroko curled in on himself, a small whimper leaving his lips. This was unlike any pain he’d felt before. He wasn’t used to getting sick, he was used to feeling the pain from shedding blood or getting punched or kicked in the face. This pain was different, it twisted and turned, tightening like a coil of burning iron, slowly being eaten away by the acids in his stomach.

Kuroko lifted his dagger with shaky hands, and hesitated before cutting a gash right above a thick scar on his right hip before he leaned back against the riverbank, laughing to himself self-derisively before his body relaxed and his eyes closed, feeling something bubbling in his throat.

It wasn’t much longer before Kuroko heard the sounds of rustling and voices, and his heart skipped several beats in apprehension. No. _No_. This can’t be happening. Kuroko heard the telltale sound of horse hooves clicking against the ground, and the familiar voice of his victim that he had almost killed a week ago.

“We shall head back to the palace. Father’ll be pleased with what we’ve gathered.”

There were more voices - shocked and horrified - calling out as the sound of horse hooves came closer.

“Your Highness! There’s a boy lying on the riverbank!”

“He looks pale, your Highness, and he’s bleeding.

“My God, he looks as if he’s been dragged through hell and back.”

“Shall we bring him to our infirmary?”

But before Kuroko could hear an answer, everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for so many different reasons<.>
> 
> But heyyyy there's at least gonna be a bit of Akashi's POV in the next chapter bc he's gonna find our stupid precious - ~~assassin~~ \- blue angel :'D


	4. Making Acquaintances?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHOoOoO 
> 
> Another fucking mess of a chapter.
> 
> I kinda want this part to move quicker so I can get to the part where ~~Akashi gets Kuroko to stay~~ Akashi and Kuroko start to get along a bit better, even if it is against Kuroko's own will.
> 
> Footnote:
> 
> It was Day 4 when Kuroko attacked the prince.  
> It was Day 11 when Kuroko decided to give himself food poisoning and hypothermia  
> It was Day 12 when Kuroko woke up in the palace
> 
>  
> 
> Kai River - coldest river

Akashi had just been returning from his hunting patrol when his scouters found a boy laying on the riverbank, unconscious, face filthy and bloodied, shirt and pants torn and stained. After he’d been wrapped up in the blankets from the horses’ satchels and bundled, Akashi had taken the boy onto his own horse.

He looked frail, breathing shallow and features pale. He was shivering, and the shock of his blue hair was matted to his head.

“He has several wounds on his body, your Highness. He was carrying a dagger, and we’re not sure if he had gotten into a fight and stumbled into the river, or if he was attempting a suicide.” One of the scouts report.

“Thank you. My father shall not know of this right away. He is under the stress of negotiating with Shūtoku to prevent another war.” Akashi ordered. The scout bowed his head, and mounted his horse, before they all headed back to the palace.

Akashi left his horse in the scouts’ hands and carried the bundled up boy to the infirmary where Satsuki was. He took the long route, to be avoid being seen by his father or his father’s men. 

Shouldering his way into the infirmary, Satsuki popped her head around the corner at the noise, and her eyes went wide when she saw the blanket wrapped bundle in Akashi’s arms.

“Quickly! On the bed.” Satsuki ordered, hurrying over to the supplies cabinet to get cloths wet with warm water. Akashi padded over to the bed and settled the blue-haired boy down, hearing a soft groan of pain escape his almost purple lips. 

Despite being wrapped in several blankets, the boy was shivering. Akashi couldn’t really call this blue-haired boy… a boy really. He seemed to be about the same age as Akashi was himself. Satsuki arrived a few moments later, with a bowl of lukewarm water and a bucket of steaming hot water. 

Wetting the towel with the lukewarm water, she dabbed at the blue-haired boy’s face, and Akashi watched, apprehensively as the dirt and grime and blood was cleared. Akashi was surprised to see that there were no visible wounds, and that his skin looked…. soft. 

Akashi felt his cheeks flush slightly and hid it by burying the tip of his cold nose into the collar of his cloak. Satsuki methodically shifted the sheets on the bed, and started to unwrap the blankets, drawing the lukewarm towel down the boy’s throat. Unwrapping him completely, the boy started shivering again, and Satsuki immediately stripped the boy from the soaked shirt. 

Akashi inhaled sharply, eyes roaming over the boy’s torso and abdomen, picking out a rather deep cut above his right hip bone, and several nicks of various depths on his chest. There was also a very large bruise on his forehead. The boy was well-built, Akashi had to admit rather jealously. Satsuki ordered him to go get her the alcohol and antiseptic as well as bandages as she continued to clean the grime and dirt and blood, as well as cleanse the wounds and warm the shivering boy up.

Satsuki had started to use the hot water to warm the boy up, and his shivers had started to subside. Satsuki dressed the wounds and bandaged them on his chest, and as she started to undo the boy’s pants, Akashi looked away, feeling a blush start to appear over the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t used to seeing naked males. 

“There don’t seem to be any kind of wounds on his lower body.” Satsuki observed, and Akashi turned around, forcing himself to not look anywhere below the boy’s waist. Satsuki didn’t seem to have a problem. She was a professional after all. Satsuki chuckled at Akashi’s sheepish expression and drew the sheets up over the boy’s body, before drawing up more blankets to his chin.

He looked almost angelic.

“Can we take a blood sample to see where he is within our databases?” Akashi asked. Satsuki shook her head.

“Not right now. I injected him with some medicine when you had your back turned so we need to wait a few hours before we take any samples.”

“Fine.”

“Now, let me see your wounds, Akashi.” Satsuki said. “You shouldn’t strain your arm too much, you know.”

“It’s _fine_ Satsuki.” Akashi groaned, but still unclasped his cloak and tugged his shirt over his head. The wounds on his biceps and abdomen had closed up, though they were still puckered and red and angry.

“I’m putting a salve on it.” Satsuki said firmly, forcing Akashi to sit on a chair. She bustled off, before returning with a jar of green paste. The putrid scent caused Akashi’s nose to curl, but he allowed Satsuki to smear and rub the salve into his healing scars. His eyes darted over towards where the boy was sleeping, and wondered where he could have possibly come from.

 

“This makes no sense, Akashi-kun. There is absolutely no useful data on this boy at all. His parents have been dead for the past twelve years, there’s no certified name for him, and it seems as if he was born outside of a hospital.”

“Why isn’t there any information about his weight and height? Shouldn’t he have had some sort of examination to put in the databases?”

“I’m not exactly sure, your Highness.”

“He seems very human.” 

Kuroko could hear the murmur of voices around him, though he was only half conscious. There were two different voices, and one he easily depicted as the prince’s.

“Yes, your Highness. Where did you find him, if I may ask?”

“We found him coming back from my hunting party. He had collapsed on the riverbank of the Kai River with wounds and signs of an oncoming sickness.” The prince’s voice responded to the feminine voice.

“Shouldn’t you be attending your classes, Prince Akashi? Your father will be displeased.”

“I hardly attend them anyways.” Akashi said simply.

Kuroko finally found the strength to move, feeling his head spin and stomach churn, letting out a small groan of discomfort and pain as he started to sit up. Firm hands immediately pressed his shoulders down gently, and Kuroko’s eyes flashed open, instinctively shifting back from whoever touched him. It was his assassin’s and fighter’s instinct. In the wild, as soon as someone grabbed you, it was a free for all battle.

Looking up, he met a pair of shocked crimson eyes and blinked. Something acidic bubbled up in his throat, and Kuroko lurched upwards, ignoring the redhead’s extended arms as he clasped a hand over his mouth. A bucket was placed before him seconds later and Kuroko leaned over it and promptly threw up.

A whine of real discomfort escaped Kuroko’s lips and he felt a warm and gloved hand rub the length of his spine, which told him it was most likely whoever the feminine voice belonged to. The foul smell reached Kuroko’s nose and he scrunched it up as mouthful after mouthful of foul liquid escaped his mouth, before he was dry heaving, coughing violently, body shaking.

Kuroko coughed a couple more times, before lifting his head blearily, exhausted and unable to comprehend his surroundings. He felt like a fool, his muddled mine frantically trying to wake up, but it was as if he was drunk, and he couldn’t think straight. Someone placed an open bottle of water in Kuroko’s hands and he immediately tilted it into his mouth. However, as soon as the water touched the back of his throat, Kuroko coughed, managing to spew most of the water into the bucket. He was uncomfortable, and now his throat hurt. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Kuroko’s eyes darted up to meet a pair of bright pink eyes and a shock of pink hair. “Just drink slowly, and take smaller sips.”

Kuroko fought back a scowl at being told what to do, but lifted the bottle to his lips wordlessly and managed to take in a few sips before another coughing fit wracked his body. The bucket before him was taken away, and a pair of rough and calloused hands gingerly pushed Kuroko’s shoulders back into the comfortable pillows on the bed he was lying in.

“Why are you touching me?” Kuroko couldn’t help to give the prince a snippy comment. The prince’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m trying to help you.” Kuroko shot him an unbelieving look, though he knew it lacked his usual heat. He was tired, and so were his eyes.

“What have you eaten in the past few hours?” The pink haired female crouched at the side of where Kuroko was laying, handing him a wet cloth. He thanked her quietly and wiped his face and chin from the remains of his upheaving. 

“I… don’t know.” Kuroko frowned.

“You’ve got food poisoning and the beginnings of a real bad cold.” The female tells him. “You’re going to need to stay here for at least a week, no arguments.”

“Hope you don’t have anywhere you need to get to then, _sweetheart._ ” The mocking endearment from the prince made Kuroko flush with anger and embarrassment. If only the prince knew who he really was, then Kuroko could revel in the fear and terror in the prince’s crimson eyes.

“I don’t, actually,” Kuroko shot back, his voice heated. 

“Your Highness! Please don’t taunt him, he still needs to recover and if you rile him up that’ll get his health in worse condition.” The female, who Kuroko now gathered to be a nurse, said. The prince scowled.

“How did I get here?” Kuroko asked, turning to the nurse, although he knew full and well how he had gotten here.

“Prince Akashi was just arriving back from a hunting party and they found you collapsed by the river bed. He brought you here.” The nurse cast a warm glance towards the prince who promptly ignored it.

“What’s your name?” The prince asked.

“Kuroko.” Kuroko said, after a moment of hesitation. It was fine, right? He’d gone nameless for years now, only embracing the name he was given by the public. No one would know that he, Kuroko was the Black Shadow.

“First name or last?” The prince questioned. Kuroko blinked up at him.

“I… don’t know.” He admitted truthfully. “I don’t remember being scammed anything else.”

“Kuroko it is.” The prince mused. “You’re going to need to stay here until you’re better.”

“That’s what she just said.” Kuroko said blankly, giving the prince a deadpanned look.

“You should work on your mannerisms as well.” The prince narrowed his eyes at Kuroko and Kuroko returned the glare with just as much heat. His mind was slowly getting clearer, and he was suddenly aware of how _cold_ he was. He drew the sheets and blanket of the bed up to his shoulders, belatedly realizing that he had been stripped down completely. How he _hadn’t_ noticed the sheets and blanket rubbing against his bared skin was beyond him. 

Against his will, Kuroko felt his cheeks flush, wondering just _how much_ they’d seen, before he realized what he was thinking. Frowning at himself, he wondered why he even cared. There was always the reason that he’d never really been around any people unless he was being hired, or killing them, so he’d never had the chance to feel awkward. He was straightforward, and to the point. He didn’t care who he hurt in the process, he abided by his own strict rules and listened to no one else.

“You know, your facial expressions are quite amusing.” Kuroko immediately scowled at the prince, who was staring down at him. “It’s just subtle shifts of movements but it looks like there’s something crawling beneath your skin.”

“The hell?” Kuroko curled his lip in distaste, giving the prince the side eye as the nurse returns to his side with a tray. She placed it on the bedside table next to Kuroko, and he can see that there’s a bowl of broth and rice. As if on instinct, his stomach grumbled, and he fought a wave of embarrassment as the nurse let out a tinkling laugh.

“Why don’t we see if you can stomach this before we give you anything remotely heavy.” The nurse suggested and Kuroko nodded. She set up some type of table and put the tray on top and Kuroko briefly remembered to clasp his palms together in thanks before eating.

“Akashi-kun, does your father know?” The nurse asked, and the Akashi frowned at her.

“He doesn't, Satsuki.” The prince huffed, eyes darting over towards Kuroko. Kuroko ignored it, spooning more broth into his mouth, hearing his stomach gurgle in response. Kuroko tuned them out as he ate, forcing himself to eat slow. He really didn’t have an appetite after yesterday’s fiasco, but his grumbling stomach urged him to eat.

“Are you cold, Kuroko-kun?” The nurse asked. Kuroko frowned, before he realized he had goosebumps all over his bared upper body and arms.

“A little bit,” Kuroko admitted. The nurse went bustling off and returned with a heavier blanket, this one seemed to have fur on the inside and draped it over his shoulders. Kuroko burrowed into it, food forgotten, as he gratefully took in the warmth.

“You look happy.” The prince commented. Kuroko shot him a side eye glare before softening them as he turned to look at the nurse.

“Thank you, er….” Kuroko trailed off, realizing he didn’t know the nurse’s name.

“Oh! I’m Satsuki Momo. You can call me Satsuki.” Satsuki grinned, patting Kuroko briefly on the shoulder.

“Thank you, Satsuki,” Kuroko mumbled as he leaned back, burrowing deeper into the warmth of the blanket as he felt sleep overtake him. The last thing he saw before his eyes fluttered close was the burning crimson eyes of the price.

 

“What’re you staring at?” Kuroko snapped, averting his eyes slightly. He was uncomfortable with all the starting the price was doing. Prince Akashi seemed to snap out of his trance, shaking his head.

_If he’s this distracted by me when I’m_ not _trying to kill him, then maybe I should try killing him without my disguise._ Kuroko scowled, and the prince rubbed the back of his neck in an awkward motion before wincing, rubbing at his left bicep. Kuroko realized that’s one of the places where he’d wounded the prince. He kept quiet, though.

“Nothing. You just looked… well, serene for a moment.” At Kuroko’s deadpanned stare, the prince powered forward. “I mean, you usually have this nasty look on your face like you want to strangle me, so it’s a nice change of pace, I guess.” Kuroko rolled his eyes and thumped back against the raised bed, curling the blanket in closer to his body. He was still naked, and still felt uncomfortable and defensive if anyone got too close, even if it was Satsuki. 

“Where did you take my clothes?” Kuroko asked, startling the prince.

“What clothes?”

“The ones I was _wearing_ when you found me passed out on the riverbed?” Kuroko snarked.

“You mean those rags?” The prince shot back. Kuroko immediately bristled, eyes bursting to life, flaring with anger as his lips twisted up into a malicious look, flashing the prince his signature sneer. The prince literally backpedalled, eyes growing wide, flickers of fear evident in the crimson pupils.

“ _Some of us don’t have access to warm clothes and food and water all the time._ ” Kuroko spat, his voice low, though it wasn’t nearly as low as he made it when on his missions. The prince swallowed visibly, and cleared his throat, obviously feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

“I understand.” The prince said, his voice thick. “I can get you some clothes now if you’d like.” He hurried from the room, nearly stumbling over his own two feet. Kuroko snorted derisively, staring up at the ceiling.

_So fidgety._ Kuroko rolled his eyes. It wasn’t long before the prince came back, holding some clothes in his arms, as well as a small basket with soap, shampoo and a towel.

“Back again?” Kuroko asked dryly as the prince placed the things onto the table beside Kuroko.

“Of course.” The prince responded after a moment of hesitation. His voice was almost firm, though there was a wobble to it. He was still uneasy, casting Kuroko wary looks.

“Whatever.” Kuroko muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, which caused the muscles in his biceps to become more prominent. Kuroko watched as the prince’s eyes tracked the movement, and arched an eyebrow when their eyes met. The prince instantly averted his gaze, either embarrassed or apprehensive that Kuroko’s features would twist into that terrible snarl again, or a mixture of both. 

“Can you like, turn around so I can get up and wrap a sheet around me?” Kuroko asked bluntly. The prince furrowed his brows.

“We’re both males of the same age, it won’t be something I haven’t seen before.” The prince grumbled, though he turned around despite his protesting words. Kuroko noticed a flush crawl up the prince’s neck.

Standing up, Kuroko tugged the sheet free to wrap around his waist, covering what was important grabbing the basket of soap and shampoo and towel, slinging the clean clothes over his other arm.

He knew that there was a shower in the bathroom across the room, because he’d seen it. He hadn’t been allowed to take a shower, however, for the past five days, due to his state of constant delirium, drowsiness and fever. He was unstable on his feet, he’d tried to stand when he was the only one in the room, but failed when his head flared in pain. Needless to say, Kuroko was immensely proud of himself that he’d managed to stand and be stable. 

“You done?” The prince let out an annoyed huff.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kuroko grumbled, slipping past the prince and stalking towards the bathroom. “Oh, your _Highness_.” Kuroko added, his tone mocking. He turned back to find the prince staring at him, eyebrows furrowed at the tone of Kuroko’s voice.

“What?” Akashi sighed.

“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again since you don’t seem to be getting the message as you keep coming back. You should attend whatever princely classes and duties you have instead of watching over me. Like you said, we’re of the same age and I’m responsible enough not to slip and fall and crack my head open.” Kuroko said. “Now leave me alone and do whatever your royal ass does.”

He heard the prince make a noise of protest, before he held up a finger, placing the basket on the ground of the bathroom and the clothes on the stool just inside the door before marching over to the prince.

“You heard Satsuki earlier today. It’s noon, and she’ll be back at twelve thirty. I’m _fine_ so _leave_ unless you want me to intimidate you like I did earlier?” Kuroko asked, letting the threat hang in the air. He watched as Akashi’s Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

“You didn’t intimidate me before.” Akashi stated simply, though his voice shook just the slightest bit, and his eyes were just avoiding Kuroko’s.

“You sure about that?” Kuroko asked innocently, before he flashed Akashi the same predatory grin, causing the prince to stumble a step backwards. “Awe, looks like we got a prince who needs to work on maintaining his composure.” Kuroko taunted, before he turned around and headed back towards the bathroom. “But seriously. Just leave.” With that, Kuroko untied the sheet from his waist, letting it drop just outside the bathroom door before stepping inside, closing the door just after he heard a gurgling noise behind him.

 

It was the seventh day that Kuroko had been ordered to stay in the infirmary. He wasn’t sure what would happen next. His fever was gone, and his stomach had gone back to normal. He didn’t have any more dizzy spells, and he was perfectly sane. Well, as sane as he could possibly be as an undercover assassin, or just an assassin in general.

Kuroko looked up from where he was reading a book Satsuki had given him, and immediately his features dropped into a scowl of distaste.

“You again?” Kuroko groaned, dog-earing the book and tossing it down to his legs.

“Yep.” The prince answered smartly, causing Kuroko to scowl. Kuroko had the feeling that the prince’s wounds were still healing, as he’d been coming in everyday. Satsuki would always give him a jar of green stuff and the prince would dip his head respectfully before padding into the bathroom. Kuroko knew that the prince was apprehensive about it, their eyes always locking when the prince emerged from the bathroom, smelling strongly of herbs.

“Why does it seem that are you so interested in me that you keep coming back?” Kuroko asked, lifting one arm above his head to brush his fingers against the wall in a stretch. He watched the prince’s expressions carefully. The prince sighed before responding.

“I’m interested in you because no one has ever dared to speak to me in the way you do. I’m intrigued.”

“I’m surprised that more people don’t speak to you in this way.” Kuroko snorted, rolling his eyes as he lifted his other arm to stretch. He was glad that his strength was recovering quickly, he hated feeling weak and physically incapable of standing up.

"You know that you can call me 'Prince Akashi'." The prince tilted his head at Kuroko. "I can tell that you're referring to me as 'the prince' in that pretty little head of yours." Kuroko blinked, taken aback by the small endearment, and unsure of how to respond, finally deciding to not comment on it.

"I still like using 'Your Highness'," Kuroko said, his tone mocking. Akashi frowned, and Kuroko almost laughed at the ridiculous furrow of the prince’s brow.

"I feel like you're mocking me." Akashi said, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes darted to the side.

"When am I not?" Kuroko snorted.

"Someone needs to teach you discipline and manners."

"Like who?” Kuroko shot back. “You? You’re not much better than I am. You’re so easy to rile up. Besides, you won’t have to deal with my so called attitude anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Akashi asked, tilting his head to the side. A breeze blew in from the open window on Kuroko’s other side, letting the prince’s cloak billow out around him, though it was just slightly.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious. The rumors say that you're heartless, and your father is even worse. Of course you'd kick me out as soon as I get better. One less mouth to feed, right?" Kuroko shrugged, indifferently. 

His heart was pounding in his chest, though. If Akashi did kick him out, Kuroko would have to undergo a different procedure than how he had first attacked Akashi. The weak point of the palace would have been sealed, Kuroko had no more smoke bombs or timer bombs left, and the person who he’d bought them from was…. non-existent, if Kuroko had anything else to say.

Even as an assassin of his own calibre, even he would not be able to break into the palace again. He could try and try to penetrate through the castle walls, but he knew that there were no longer any weak points.

He could try to kill the prince when he was off on a hunting trip, but Kuroko had no information on when or where the prince went, and he didn’t have the time to observe and scout nor have the time to attack recklessly. 

He had a time limit.

"Is it bad of me to want you to stay here?" Akashi asked, rubbing the back of his neck. When Kuroko didn’t answer, the prince flailed momentarily, as if searching for words. Kuroko himself was too shocked to make a snide remark.

“Err…. I know that we’re still basically strangers to each other, but I’ve honestly enjoyed your company and smart comments. Though your glares and expressions can get really intimidating.” Akashi admitted.

“Ah, so he admits it.” Kuroko smirked, and the prince shot him a dark glare.

“Oh shut up.” Akashi muttered. Something piqued Kuroko’s interest, and as he squinted his eyes…. were his eyes betraying him? There was the lightest of blushes dusting Akashi's cheeks. For some reason, Kuroko found it incredibly... endearing.

_No! Focus on the task at hand. You can NOT get sidetracked no matter what._  
“How would you feel about, er, well, coming to live here? In the castle?” Kuroko’s head snapped up in surprise and a bit of horror, his blue eyes widening against his own will. It couldn’t be this easy.

“I’m sure your father and instructors would appreciate that.” Satsuski commented, and Kuroko’s eyes darted to the door, where Satsuki was leaning against the doorframe. Kuroko’s brow furrowed slightly. How had he not noticed? He’d been doing nothing for too long, and he felt as if his heightened senses from several years of hunting and stalking were fading the longer he stayed here. Satsuki must have mistaken the look on Kuroko’s face for confusion and curiosity because she continued.

“Prince Akashi isn’t really one to…. attend his classes. A few days ago, he started showing up to more of his information sessions.” Satsuki said as she moved further into the room. “I’m assuming it has to do with something you said, Kuroko-kun.”

“It has absolutely nothing to do with him.” Akashi sniped back, his voice a low mutter as he turned his head to glare at the wall, the lightest blush dusting along his cheekbones. Satsuki let out a tittering laugh but didn’t press any farther.

“What do you mean by staying here? I thought you said your father still doesn’t know of my presence.” Kuroko asked, narrowing his eyes slightly at the prince, staring at him hard until the prince finally met his gaze.

“He does know of a boy in the infirmary, but that’s about it.” Akashi responded. Kuroko frowned and ran a hand through his hair, pushing his bangs back from his eyes. He noted that the prince had been avoiding using his left arm for the past few days. 

“Yeah, yeah. If he finds out you’ve suddenly invited that person, someone you barely know, a peasant found collapsed on the side of a riverbank sick and nearly dead, don’t you think he’d look down on that?” Kuroko scowled, curling his lip. “I’m sure he doesn’t want any…. lower-ranking society member within his precious, royal and rich halls.” Kuroko spat out the last few words, loaded with spite.

“We do have servants and lower-class people here too, you know.” Akashi mumbled, eyes staring down at his feet as he clasped the back of his neck. He sounded oddly disappointed, and Kuroko heaved out a hefty sigh, aware of Satsuki watching the exchange curiously.

“Won’t I be intruding?” Kuroko asked instead. Akashi’s eyes stayed locked on the ground. “Besides, even if I _did_ stay here, what would I even do?”

“I can just say something about how you’ll be my aide or something.” Akashi said, finally looking up, though he didn’t really meet Kuroko’s eyes. Kuroko let out an annoyed noise, and the prince finally met his gaze. “What?”

“Why’re you so damn fidgety?” Kuroko asked, rolling the sleeves of his white dress shirt up his arms before folding his arms back behind his head to use as a pillow.

“I don’t know.” The prince huffed. “I just want to take a walk, or something.”

“Then go take a walk and stop bothering me.” Kuroko snorted, rolling his eyes as he stretched, kicking the sheets off. The black slacks he was wearing were uncomfortable, the fabric and the way that they brushed lightly against his skin made him uneasy. He’d decided to go commando - he refused to wear the undergarments that he had been provided with. In fact, he’d thrown the clean pair at the prince’s face when he emerged from the bathroom, growling something in annoyance. 

The prince averted his gaze, instead staring hard towards Satsuki, who merely grinned and turned back to her computer, humming a little tune to herself. The tips of the prince’s ears were bright red, and he drew his cloak just a little further into his body.

“The hell you doing?” Kuroko asked, stretching and popping the length of his spine, watching as the prince flinched at each crack his joints made.

“Nothing,” was all the prince said before he swept out of the room, cloak billowing slightly behind him.

“Damned spoiled brat.” Kuroko snorted, tugging at the fabric where it clung to his thighs. He didn’t like this material. Suddenly, he realized why the prince seemed a bit flustered when Kuroko had stretched.

_That perverted bastard!_

 

_Fuck._

If he’d said that out loud, his father would have surely reprimanded him with his foul language. Akashi grimaced, pressing the pad of his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose as his back slid down the wall just outside the infirmary. 

Why had he acted that way?

Akashi Seijūrō was not one to get flustered that easily, but something about this…. blue-haired boy was different. He had a fiery attitude, though it wasn’t explosive. Threatening yet innocent, he was full of surprises.

When the boy… Kuroko, had stretched, Akashi had caught a glimpse of the skin above the waist of his slacks, smooth and muscled, showing just the bottom of his abs. Akashi had also seen the scar on his right hip, as well as the newer, still healing scar. 

He felt his face flush and cupped his cheeks in his palms, mortified. He remembered how the fabric of Kuroko’s slacks had bunched, tugging slightly just enough to emphasize the fact that… well, that the boy was wearing no undergarments. 

Akashi felt like a complete idiot, as well as perverted, and he knew that Kuroko must have realized what had happened. He _was_ freakishly perceptive from what Akashi could tell in the few days he’d known him. 

Kuroko wasn’t bad looking in any means. The very few times that he didn’t have a scowl on his face softened his already aristocratic features, making him look very calm and serene. His eyes could easily look innocent if he rounded and widened them. Akashi remembered how physically fit Kuroko was when he’d first brought him in and Satsuki had stripped him.

Lean, and muscular, he was obviously very athletic, or physically active. Akashi wasn’t sure how someone like that could get sick, though he had no clue of the boy’s backstory. He knew that there were a few dangerously poisonous plants around the palace walls, though none had been taken care of. Kuroko’s shoulders had been rather narrow, as was his torso, and his waist even slimmer. He hadn’t had the guts to keep looking.

Akashi exhaled sharply, standing up after gaining some part of his composure back before striding down the hall and turning down the corridor towards the courtyard.

He needed to clear his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people may think that I'm kinda neglecting Kuroko's assassin type personality, or forgetting but that's not the case. Kuroko knows how to put up a facade, and many of you know that from the anime, he does not express much emotion. Imagine that but as a perfected skill :) as well as being a pro actor lmfao
> 
>  
> 
> **PLEASE READ**  
>  Also, I have no clue how this works, but I had a sudden idea of why Kuroko’s “sickness” hit him harder than he thought. I was thinking of using the idea that he brushed up against a “taxus baccata” plant while he made his escape, but I have no idea what those after affects are.
> 
> Sooo……
> 
> I decided to make up a plant. No idea what I’m gonna name it, but brushing against it with either bare skin or thin fabric (sweatpant and hoodie material keep you safe. Some types of jeans may keep you safe as well) will give you symptoms similar to pneumonia. This includes but is not limited to, fatigue, coughing, fever, sweating, shaking chills, nausea, vomiting and a shortness of breath. 
> 
> This plant’s poisonous affects go into affect within twelve to eighteen hours after contact. Kuroko’s first attack was rather early, around seven thirty, and when his fight with Knife and his comrades was around eight. Keep in mind this fanfic is set in late fall-mid winter, so darkness comes quite quickly. 
> 
> Kuroko ate the raw meat around eight thirty, and that was when his symptoms started to appear.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~also haha seems like Akashi's already falling lmfao~~
> 
> ~~and Kuroko is being a little shit but what's new lol~~


	5. King's Suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm honestly Struggling.
> 
> like
> 
> i'm stuck ;-;

Finally allowed to leave the infirmary, Kuroko had his hands stuffed in his pockets, head bent ever so slightly to look at his feet. The prince walked beside him, just as silent, the only noises they could hear were their footsteps and the occasional swishing noise of the prince’s cape. Neither of them had really said anything after the other day when the prince had hurried out. 

Kuroko followed the prince out into the courtyard, halting briefly at the entrance of the palace, his eyes automatically darting towards the wall, knowing that just around the corner, is where he had led his attack on the prince.

“What’s wrong?” Kuroko looked up, and the prince had paused, looking over his shoulder.

“Are you sure that I should be out here?” Kuroko asked, scrunching up his nose. “So soon after my recovery?”

“Are you cold?” Akashi asked, turning around to walk back to Kuroko. Before Kuroko could respond, the prince had undone the clasp at his throat and draped his cloak over Kuroko’s lithe shoulders. The prince’s long fingers brushed against Kuroko’s throat and collarbones as he redid the clasp. 

Kuroko fought off a small blush, and averted his eyes, swallowing thickly and hearing the prince’s breath hitch when Kuroko’s throat bobbed against the prince’s knuckles. Blinking up at the prince - who avoided his gaze - Kuroko dipped his head in respect and followed the prince as they stepped back outside.

The courtyard was simplistic, similar to the one that had been below Akashi’s balcony when Kuroko first broke in. There was an intricately carved fountain in the center, with a cobblestone path that wove around it, and then disappeared into a clump of well-plotted flowerbeds. The grass of the courtyard was immaculately cut, and littered with yellow, red, orange and browned leaves. They gave a satisfying _crunch_ when Kuroko walked over them. 

“Seijūrō!” Akashi froze, stiffening beside Kuroko and the latter looked up, curious as to why the usual short-tongued and snappy prince didn’t respond. Peering behind him, Kuroko saw a man standing a few paces behind them, as if he’d followed.  
He was clad in clothes much richer in color and obviously made with better materials than the prince’s was, and Kuroko gathered that this was Akashi’s father. His hair was a darker red than Akashi’s, and his brilliant red eyes flashed dangerously and angrily. His features were drawn down into a scowl, obviously displeased.

“Father,” Akashi responded, dipping his head. Kuroko blinked, looking back and forth from father to son, noticing that the king had gone to glaring at Kuroko, eyes narrowing. Realizing what the king had disapproved of, Kuroko fumbled with the clasp of the cape and handed it back to Akashi. The clasp had been the family emblem, Kuroko belatedly realized, and he knew that this probably wasn’t a great start if he wanted to be able to stay in the palace to continue his assassination.

“Who is this?” The king furrowed his brow, obviously still wary of Kuroko.

“He’s the boy that’s been in the infirmary for the past week.” Akashi responded simply. “I’ve told you of him once or twice, Father.”

“I do vaguely recall.” The king sighed, glancing to his left where a guard stood behind him. “I hear you’ve been going to your meetings and classes more often?”

“Ah,” Akashi started, rubbing the back of his neck, a pink flush dusting his cheeks as he drapes his cloak over his shoulders. “That’s thanks to Kuroko here.” The king’s gaze immediately bore into Kuroko’s, and he couldn’t help but to lift his chin in defiance, meeting his gaze equally. To his surprise, the king chuckled, a small smile flitting across his face.

“I can see how you wouldn’t go against him.” The king said. Kuroko fought back a scowl, and instead forced a look of confusion upon his face. “You.” Kuroko blinked when the king pointed at him. “Where are you going once you recover?” Kuroko chanced a look up at the prince.

“Ah, I had asked him how he’d feel about living here. Permanently.” Akashi blurted. The king’s eyes went wide, before they fixated on Kuroko again, as if trying to read his thoughts.

“Can the boy not speak?” The king asked, his voice scathing. Kuroko bristled, and Akashi opened his mouth, a grimace evident on his face.

“I can speak quite well, your Highness.” Kuroko spat, putting as much venom into the words as he possibly could. The king’s eyebrows seemed to shoot to his hairline.

“I was hoping this wouldn’t happen.” Akashi sighed, rubbing the side of his neck. “Father, he’s…. easily provoked, I guess is the right word.” He looked at Kuroko from the side of his eye, and Kuroko narrowed his eyes back up at the prince.

“He does seem to have a sharp tongue.” The king responded, not looking too amused. “If he stays here, he’s learning etiquette and discipline. That’s my only requirement. If he’s helping you to actually attend to be taught by private tutors so I’m not wasting my time and money trying to keep educating you to become a good, future heir, then he’s more than welcome to stay.”

 _I can’t believe it. This is really happening. I can continue on with this so easily._

Kuroko shook his head, and Akashi gave him an incredulous look.

“I…. It’s an honor to be allowed to stay in such a royal place. Are you sure you want someone… like me, a peasant, within the palace?” Kuroko asked, dipping his head rather respectfully. The king let out a hearty laugh, and shook his head, waving his hand almost absentmindedly.

“Of course! Everyone’ll overlook that fact, don’t worry.” The king said. “Now that I understand the situation, I shall await your answer by nightfall.” With that, the king turned with a grand and over exaggerated gesture, his guard following as he headed back to the palace. “Looks like the boy does have some etiquette.”

Kuroko scowled as he heard the king’s musing, and Akashi chuckled, nudging Kuroko’s shoulder playfully.

 

“What do you think you’re going to do?” Akashi asked once they were back in the infirmary and Kuroko had taken his dose of medicine. He looked nervous, pacing almost. 

“What do you mean?” Kuroko asked, knowing perfectly what the prince meant, but wanting to tease just a little bit. He was surprised when Akashi looked up, his eyes glittering with what looked like distress.

“About staying here.” Akashi mumbled, wringing his fingers together.

“Oh.” Kuroko frowned. “I mean, I guess I’ll accept. I don’t really have anywhere to go after I get better.”

“I don’t think I asked this, but where _did_ you come from?” Akashi asked, coming to sit on the edge of Kuroko’s bed. 

“I don’t know.” Kuroko replied simply. “My childhood memories are vague, and I’ve been living on my own since I was six. I don’t have anywhere that I stay, I move around a lot. All that I know is that I was born somewhere south, because I constantly travel north.”

Not all of it was a lie, persay. Kuroko indeed had no idea who his parents were, or that he’d travelled north. He had a very much semi-permanent place which he considered his home base. 

“So you’ll have nowhere to go when it snows.” Akashi said, his voice so soft Kuroko wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear it. 

“It’s been that way for the past twelve years. I nearly died the first couple years.” Kuroko responded, shrugging indifferently.

“How can you be so…. calm over the fact that you’ve almost died more than once?” Akashi exclaimed, looking appalled.

“If that is shocking news to you, then I have enough stories to share that’ll shock you to death, and your soul in the afterlife to die several times over.” Kuroko responded, flopping back against his pillows with a heavy sigh. Akashi frowned.

“I’ve…. seen several scars on your body. Are they from… well, those experiences?” Akashi asked curiously.

“Mm,” Kuroko responded, rubbing his right hip idly, where the old scar and newer scar was. “I noticed that you’ve stopped putting salve onto your wounds.” Akashi narrowed his eyes.

“How do you know I have wounds?”

“One, you just told me, and two, no one gets salve and goes to the bathroom and comes out inconspicuously.” Kuroko scoffed. Akashi heaved out a heavy sigh, rubbing his left bicep. “You do that a lot,” Kuroko pointed out.

“I was injured in… an attack about two weeks ago.” Akashi finally said. Kuroko feigned surprise.

“How? Isn’t Ryshkva supposed to be super secure and safe?” Kuroko asked. Akashi nodded grimly.

“It is, but we have a blind spot that no one should know about. The attacker abused that and infiltrated the palace.” Akashi responded. “He’s after me, that’s certain. Father’s got guards standing outside my door and on my balcony, and has upped the level of security.”

It was just as Kuroko thought. The security had been reinforced, and if Kuroko couldn’t kill the prince during his…. “stay” here for the next month and a half, he’d never find the time or way to do it. 

“Why you?” Kuroko asked, tilting his head.

“Because Father’s going to die soon and I’ll be the heir as I’m the only son.” Akashi responded simply. 

“Can I see the scars?” Kuroko found himself blurting. Akashi arched an eyebrow and Kuroko fought the urge to blush, instead scowling. “What? You’ve seen me naked when I was unconscious.” This time, the prince’s cheeks flared red and he coughed awkwardly looking away.

“Fine.” With a sigh, Akashi unclasped his cloak and let it hang over the side of a chair, before starting to unbutton his shirt. Kuroko found himself almost… entranced. The muscles shifted beneath the white fabric, clearly visible. A sliver of the prince’s throat was exposed, and Kuroko saw the faintest discoloration. 

Had his grip really been that strong to leave a bruise still visible after a couple weeks? Kuroko tilted his head. Akashi had finished unbuttoning his shirt, sliding his arms out of it awkwardly. The prince wasn’t as confident about his body as Kuroko thought he’d be. Instead of showing off, the prince was standing there, fidgeting with his fingers and eyes looking anywhere but Kuroko.

Kuroko could see the healing scar on the prince’s left bicep, as well as the stab wound on his well-defined abdomen. It was deep, and it was still healing. The prince seemed to squirm beneath Kuroko’s scrutinizing, and the blue-eyed boy quirked his lips up into an almost feral grin.

“It doesn’t look like too many wounds,” Kuroko finally said. Akashi let out a heavy breath, and looked down, rubbing gently at the healing scar on his abdomen.

“It wasn’t, but this one was pretty fatal. It was a large wound, and it was deep. Father and Satsuki were worried of blood loss.” Akashi responded, rolling his shoulders, which only accentuated the muscles in his chest. Kuroko rolled his eyes.

“Are you trying to show off or something?” Kuroko scoffed. Akashi froze, looking confused before a blush dusted his cheeks.

“No!” He sputtered. “It’s just-“

“It’s fine,” Kuroko yawned, waving him off. “You know, you should be more confident in yourself.”

“I am,” the prince insisted. “Just when it comes to dealing with negotiating and the good for Ryshkva.” Kuroko rolled his eyes, and sank further down into the medical bed.

“Sure, sure.” Kuroko responded. “When am I supposed to meet your father?” Before Akashi could respond, there was a knock at the door. A woman who was dressed as a maid came in tentatively, and when she took in the sight of Akashi shirtless and Kuroko looking half-asleep, took a double take.

“Oh. Good evening,” Akashi dipped his head awkwardly, reaching for his shirt.

“Good…. evening.” The maid said, uncertain. She turned her gaze to Kuroko. “His Majesty requests your response over dinner tonight.” With that, she left.

“Wait what?” Kuroko sat up abruptly. “Giving a yes or a no over a meal? Can’t I just go to him and say yes or no?”

“Well, if you say yes, what’s the point of not having dinner with us?” Akashi asked, tilting his head as he buttoned his shirt back up. Kuroko scowled.

“Fine.” Kuroko heaved out a sigh and slung his legs over the side of the bed. “Wait a second,” Kuroko said, placing a hand on Akashi’s bare chest to prevent him from buttoning his shirt up further.  
“W-what?” Akashi stuttered, eyes focusing on Kuroko’s hand. Kuroko could feel the muscles beneath the skin, feel how warm the prince was, and how quick his heartbeat was. Peering at the column of Akashi’s neck, Kuroko realized how _deep_ the bruises were on the prince’s neck. Kuroko’s fingers must have dug in deeper than he realized.

“Nothing,” Kuroko responded simply, pulling away, his hand feeling oddly cold. “Now let’s go, _Your Highness_ , your father probably doesn’t do well with tardiness.” 

 

“Welcome,” Kuroko walked in just behind the prince, in an act of respect, and looked up as he heard the king speak. Akashi sat down near the head of the table, across from his father and gestured for Kuroko to sit on his opposite side. Kuroko sat down hesitantly. It was too elaborate for him, too unusual. Kuroko was used to eating with mostly his hands and fingers, without napkins, without plates, and without forks, spoons or knives. 

“Thank you for the opportunity to sit here.” Kuroko managed, forcing his tone to be light and polite. He wasn’t used to this, he preferred to be intimidating, to be growling his words, but he knew that this wouldn’t pass before the king.

“Of course, have you thought of the offer?” The king asked.

“Yes, and I would find it a great honor to be able to live here.” Kuroko said, dipping his head.

“Fabulous!” The king clapped his hands together, before nodding towards the door. More people filed in and took their spots at the table, the low murmuring of voices becoming more prominent with the more people the table sat.

“Where shall he stay, Father?” Akashi asked, pressing his hands together and resting his chin on them.

“He will be staying within the guest rooms where the rest of the maids and servants reside.” The king responded. Kuroko couldn’t really find it in him to be annoyed, he knew that he seemed like a peasant to the king, and the royalty around him especially.

“Father, there is an extra room within my room. What if he was to stay there?” Kuroko’s heart leapt into his throat. If so, this was the perfect opportunity to carry out the rest of his plan.

“Not yet,” the king chided. “I want to see who this boy is for himself.” Akashi looked puzzled, and Kuroko fought the urge to bristle. He forced himself to stay calm and collected, knowing that the king was trying to rile him up, as if he knew who Kuroko really was.

“What do you mean?” Akashi asked.

“I just want to make sure he’s not a potential threat to us.” The king shrugged.

“I though you said you’d overlook him as a so-called peasant?” Akashi nearly growled. Kuroko placed an hand on Akashi’s forearm, and the prince looked at him, obviously surprised.

“Your Majesty, I wouldn’t want any harm to come to your only heir. I was only just informed of Prince Akashi’s injuries during an assault attack a couple weeks ago, and I find that appalling.” Kuroko said, placing his hands back in his lap as servants brought food out to the table.

It smelled incredible, and Kuroko wasn’t sure how he would be able to deal with such luxurious food after years of scavenging and hunting alone. The food given to him when he was sick had been simple, and not very elaborate, but it was obvious that the king had ordered for the most expensive and elaborate dishes to be made, due to the hushed whispers of awe around him.

Kuroko knew that the king was trying to send him a message, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this little teaser ^^'


End file.
